Ahhh...a day without traveling somewhere, and it was fabuloso. Our hotel and its grounds/gardens are simply breathtaking as are out views of Lake Atitlan and the three surrounding volcanes.
Today we took a boat ride around the lago and breathed maybe the freshest (most fresh, whatever) air I have ever had the pleasure of taking in. I stood on the front part of the boat with some amigos and just let the air blow on my face as I digested the mystical beauty that surrounded me, which was a nice treat after the mess of the past couple of days.
The first village we visited was San Juan La Laguna. They make the most incredible textiles there which are known for their muted colors. They aren't pastels, but they aren't bright either--they just look so calming and unique because everything is made directly from nature--hand-made, organic scarves, purses, etc. from the planting of the cotton to the its tinting, to the weaving--all done by hand! It's actually really neat because with every purchase comes a tag that describes how it was made and the exact person that it was made by! I, of course, bought a bufanda (I know! another one!!) that is a very pretty yet modest turquoise that was made by Catarina Madez. We also got to see how they dye the cotton and how to weave it. I was able to practice the weaving technique, too!!! on a corn leaf. :) It was still fun to learn and surprisingly easy.
We also visited a primary school where the niños melted my heart. We all brought gifts for them from pencils to candies to first-aid kits. They didn't care what it was, they wanted it! :) I was able to get lots of fotos with and of them, but I left my cable at home so I don't know if I will ever be able to upload pictures...until I get back.
We got back on the boat and traveled to Santiago de Atitlan. We were out in front again when it began to rain...a lot, but es la vida in Guatemala during the winter (which is at least 6 months of the year and at most 10). By winter, I mean the rainy season. We got a little wet, but it was an adventure for sure. Anyway, Santiago de Atitlan is where the story of Maximon took place. Honestly, I don't want to type it all, so if you're interested, look it up--its pretty neat. We saw his stature and an iglesia that demonstrated the blending of Paganism and Catholicism. We ate, we basically swan back to the boat because of the rivers in the calles, and we headed back to our hotel. and here I am...about to take a nap before dinner. After dinner I think some of my nuevos amigos míos and I will have a little fiesta and then sleep. Good, relaxing, and refreshing day. Lots of rain, but it makes things super verde and smells really good. :)
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
All I really want...is to STOP traveling!
What a day! maybe not quite as exciting as ayer--naahh! just kidding, it was! but today, instead of a huracán of negative emociones, the ups and downs came in waves.
My morning started off rough (otra vez), but it got better and then worse and then better again. This morning we (mi amiga, Kristi and her daughter, Lidia) woke up at 4:30 to get to the shuttle at 5. There wasn’t enough espacio on the shuttle for all of us and our luggage so we got separated, and since we were traveling together, she had all our plane ticket información, etc. Not at all like me, I spoke up and told the conductor that we could not be separated and (the nerve) the guy told me that we didn’t have a choice, that we had to leave, and that she would be coming in another van to follow. She did, but my guy was an idiota and first dropped me off at the wrong spot. I kept on questioning him, asking things like, dónde is my friend? Finally, he asked what airline (which I had already told him). Of course, he took me to the wrong friggin’ terminal. When get got to the terminal correcta, I asked if there was any way he could call his friend to see where they were...ya know so I could board the avión and have the rest of my luggage. He was pissed I was giving him a hard time and didn’t tip him, so he said (or better, lied) that his friend, the driver of my friend, didn’t have a radio. Anyway, I started freakeando out and crying for obvious reasons. I told myself to suck it up and that what’s done is done. There is nothing I can do to change what has happened. Then I just decided to check inside the terminal instead of continue waiting, and there they were searching frantically for me with my luggage and everything!! Gracias a Dios that I could trust them. We made it through to our gate only to see…no, it can’t be. Well, it was, another notice on the screen that our flight to Mexico City was delayed.
Turns out, it was a human error and our flight wasn't actually delayed...TO Mexico City. Our flight FROM Mexico City, however, was. We began boarding when we were supposed to have been taking off, and then sat on the tarmac for another hora, for which we never received explicación . And then from the time we took off until the time we landed, I was praying for my vida. I had never experienced turbulence like that. They would even let us get out of our seats to go to the baño. Come to find out later, my friend Alex, the tropical storm, killed two people in Guatemala today. After landing, kissing the ground, and attempting to calm down, I hurried through immigration only to wait for my luggage, which didn’t come and didn’t come. Kristi had all FOUR of hers (keep in mind we were traveling together so our bags should have been together, too). I just had this gut feeling that my equipaje was not going to come. After everything I had already been through in this nightmare of an experiencia—I knew it. My bags were lost in the aire somewhere. Then I see this hombre putting my luggage along with several others on a cart. I said “oh no no no” to that, he smiled, and said oh sorry. Umm…no. you’re not. You were trying to robar my bag.
I arrived at the hotel to meet two others that had been waiting for me along with a professor. From Guatemala City, we traveled 3 hours in a minivan to Lake Atitlan. That was great! Ha! Ya’ know that giant sink hole in the city? Well, I didn’t see that one, but I saw several more—out of the side of the road. Mudslides are ridículo here! We arrived, the hotel is B-E-A-UTIFUL and the people seem to be fantástico. So I am ready for some actual stress-free sight-seeing tomorrow. I’ll let ya know how that works out!
My morning started off rough (otra vez), but it got better and then worse and then better again. This morning we (mi amiga, Kristi and her daughter, Lidia) woke up at 4:30 to get to the shuttle at 5. There wasn’t enough espacio on the shuttle for all of us and our luggage so we got separated, and since we were traveling together, she had all our plane ticket información, etc. Not at all like me, I spoke up and told the conductor that we could not be separated and (the nerve) the guy told me that we didn’t have a choice, that we had to leave, and that she would be coming in another van to follow. She did, but my guy was an idiota and first dropped me off at the wrong spot. I kept on questioning him, asking things like, dónde is my friend? Finally, he asked what airline (which I had already told him). Of course, he took me to the wrong friggin’ terminal. When get got to the terminal correcta, I asked if there was any way he could call his friend to see where they were...ya know so I could board the avión and have the rest of my luggage. He was pissed I was giving him a hard time and didn’t tip him, so he said (or better, lied) that his friend, the driver of my friend, didn’t have a radio. Anyway, I started freakeando out and crying for obvious reasons. I told myself to suck it up and that what’s done is done. There is nothing I can do to change what has happened. Then I just decided to check inside the terminal instead of continue waiting, and there they were searching frantically for me with my luggage and everything!! Gracias a Dios that I could trust them. We made it through to our gate only to see…no, it can’t be. Well, it was, another notice on the screen that our flight to Mexico City was delayed.
Turns out, it was a human error and our flight wasn't actually delayed...TO Mexico City. Our flight FROM Mexico City, however, was. We began boarding when we were supposed to have been taking off, and then sat on the tarmac for another hora, for which we never received explicación . And then from the time we took off until the time we landed, I was praying for my vida. I had never experienced turbulence like that. They would even let us get out of our seats to go to the baño. Come to find out later, my friend Alex, the tropical storm, killed two people in Guatemala today. After landing, kissing the ground, and attempting to calm down, I hurried through immigration only to wait for my luggage, which didn’t come and didn’t come. Kristi had all FOUR of hers (keep in mind we were traveling together so our bags should have been together, too). I just had this gut feeling that my equipaje was not going to come. After everything I had already been through in this nightmare of an experiencia—I knew it. My bags were lost in the aire somewhere. Then I see this hombre putting my luggage along with several others on a cart. I said “oh no no no” to that, he smiled, and said oh sorry. Umm…no. you’re not. You were trying to robar my bag.
I arrived at the hotel to meet two others that had been waiting for me along with a professor. From Guatemala City, we traveled 3 hours in a minivan to Lake Atitlan. That was great! Ha! Ya’ know that giant sink hole in the city? Well, I didn’t see that one, but I saw several more—out of the side of the road. Mudslides are ridículo here! We arrived, the hotel is B-E-A-UTIFUL and the people seem to be fantástico. So I am ready for some actual stress-free sight-seeing tomorrow. I’ll let ya know how that works out!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Come fly with me...probably not again, no.
¡Ay dios mío!, Do I have a story for y'all. My flight from Chicago was to take off at 8:35 this mañana. Well, it didn't. We boarded on time, but had to sit on the tarmac for 2 horas!! First they told us it was because of air traffic and that it would only be about 5-10 más minutos. Well, it wasn't. Then, after we clearly could see that the problem was the giant tormenta—not air traffic, the capitán decided to break the news: it was storming, and that was the reason for the wait. (gracias por letting us know...not really sure how we would have ever figured that one out!). He thought it would only be about 10 minutes. An hour and a half luego..."okay, we're number two on the cue” (cute, huh? Umm, no). Finally, we were on our way...
I made it to Cancun. Like any good passenger, I was asking all the right preguntas and getting all the wrong answers.
And brace yourselves because I don't even think I could make this up: the first señor told me the wrong way to go, then a another man said I should stay with him--wrong--I had to get in the inmigración line (duh!), finally got to immigration when that women told me I shouldn't be there because I had a conexión, so I told her that that señora right over there was the one who told me to do it, she verified it, and I was through immigration. So then, I get my equipaje...thankfully it made it. I was worried it would get lost in the shuffle. Then, these nice men pulled some strings to get us to the front of customs. After we finally got to the boarding desk, they let us know that el resto of the flights for the night were full and that we didn't have any other option but to wait for tomorrow for which we would be put on a lista de espera. Umm...no. TAH (that aint happenin')! I told the man that I had people waiting for me in Guatemala City, that I would even pagar for first class, and that there was no way I was going to stay the night just to be put on a waiting list the next día. No dice--"nothing else they can do." Luckily, I met a nice women and her daughter who were in the same predicament and we decided to share a hotel room because, of course, it’s not the airline's culpa, so we had to pay the $120 for the noche en Cancun. We were about ready to leave when another group of people in the same situation waved us down. Apparentamente, their Mexicana representative was much more productive than ours because they got on a flight, not a waiting list, to Guatemala City for tomorrow (something for which we were told over and over that we would have to esperar). So, okay, a for sure vuelo tomorrow--great! Sort of. We have to fly to Mexico City and then to Guatemala City. After all that, we get to the desk for transportation to our hotel. HA! nope. not right. We had to go somewhere else...fine! Go to stall 26 (there was a parking lot of sorts where the shuttles wait). We go out there, and I kid you not, there is a número 25 and 27, but no 26 (is this some kind of joke?). Thankfully, the sign had just fallen, but the space actually existed. Por fin, we're on our way to the hotel for the night. Meanwhile, I am freakeando because I have no way to contact my professors that are waiting for me in Guatemala City.
From there, it's all fairly smooth. I am in a hotel near the airport in Cancun, not the beaches, so it's not like I can even enjoy Cancun (plus "tropical storm" Alex would have put the dampers on that anyway). I did get a hold of my professor. Turns out, I will miss orientation and the tour of Guatemala City (so, sorry--no sink hole pictures). From the airport, I will go to the hotel where I will be set up with trasnportación to catch up with the rest of the grupo who will have already left the city. That's el plan.
Day 1: ¡Chinga! This better be worth it!!!
I made it to Cancun. Like any good passenger, I was asking all the right preguntas and getting all the wrong answers.
And brace yourselves because I don't even think I could make this up: the first señor told me the wrong way to go, then a another man said I should stay with him--wrong--I had to get in the inmigración line (duh!), finally got to immigration when that women told me I shouldn't be there because I had a conexión, so I told her that that señora right over there was the one who told me to do it, she verified it, and I was through immigration. So then, I get my equipaje...thankfully it made it. I was worried it would get lost in the shuffle. Then, these nice men pulled some strings to get us to the front of customs. After we finally got to the boarding desk, they let us know that el resto of the flights for the night were full and that we didn't have any other option but to wait for tomorrow for which we would be put on a lista de espera. Umm...no. TAH (that aint happenin')! I told the man that I had people waiting for me in Guatemala City, that I would even pagar for first class, and that there was no way I was going to stay the night just to be put on a waiting list the next día. No dice--"nothing else they can do." Luckily, I met a nice women and her daughter who were in the same predicament and we decided to share a hotel room because, of course, it’s not the airline's culpa, so we had to pay the $120 for the noche en Cancun. We were about ready to leave when another group of people in the same situation waved us down. Apparentamente, their Mexicana representative was much more productive than ours because they got on a flight, not a waiting list, to Guatemala City for tomorrow (something for which we were told over and over that we would have to esperar). So, okay, a for sure vuelo tomorrow--great! Sort of. We have to fly to Mexico City and then to Guatemala City. After all that, we get to the desk for transportation to our hotel. HA! nope. not right. We had to go somewhere else...fine! Go to stall 26 (there was a parking lot of sorts where the shuttles wait). We go out there, and I kid you not, there is a número 25 and 27, but no 26 (is this some kind of joke?). Thankfully, the sign had just fallen, but the space actually existed. Por fin, we're on our way to the hotel for the night. Meanwhile, I am freakeando because I have no way to contact my professors that are waiting for me in Guatemala City.
From there, it's all fairly smooth. I am in a hotel near the airport in Cancun, not the beaches, so it's not like I can even enjoy Cancun (plus "tropical storm" Alex would have put the dampers on that anyway). I did get a hold of my professor. Turns out, I will miss orientation and the tour of Guatemala City (so, sorry--no sink hole pictures). From the airport, I will go to the hotel where I will be set up with trasnportación to catch up with the rest of the grupo who will have already left the city. That's el plan.
Day 1: ¡Chinga! This better be worth it!!!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
My bags are packed; I'm ready to go
Hola hola hola!!!!!
So...for those of you who don't know me, I'm a maestra de español in the suburbs of Chicago and loving every minute of it. Because I miss being a student, I am starting my Masters in Spanish through California State Sacramento, which let me tell you, hasn't been the easiest universidad to deal with, but I have been willing to "bite the bullet," if you will, for the uniqueness of this program because, really, it's a dream come true! It has a Travel Study option that can be completed during three summers. (no grad work during the school year? sí, por favor!) AND each summer is a different país hispanohablante. This verano: Guatemala, which is known as The Land of Eternal Spring.
I am taking three cursos: Magical Realism, Guatemalan Culture, & "Contrastive Grammatical Structures of Spanish and English"--the sad part is that I'm kind of excited about that one. ;)
Anyway, I have my bug spray, sunscreen, and aloe (well, my textbooks, too) all ready to go. I've also promised mi madre that I wouldn't fall into any sink holes or get smothered in any type of volcanic ash, so now it's hurry up and wait til take off on June 27, 2010.
Hasta luego...
P.S. Hopefully my landing in centroamérica this time will be better than the last, which resulted in a "woops, we missed the runway, let's try that again" situation in Costa Rica. yikes! :)
So...for those of you who don't know me, I'm a maestra de español in the suburbs of Chicago and loving every minute of it. Because I miss being a student, I am starting my Masters in Spanish through California State Sacramento, which let me tell you, hasn't been the easiest universidad to deal with, but I have been willing to "bite the bullet," if you will, for the uniqueness of this program because, really, it's a dream come true! It has a Travel Study option that can be completed during three summers. (no grad work during the school year? sí, por favor!) AND each summer is a different país hispanohablante. This verano: Guatemala, which is known as The Land of Eternal Spring.
I am taking three cursos: Magical Realism, Guatemalan Culture, & "Contrastive Grammatical Structures of Spanish and English"--the sad part is that I'm kind of excited about that one. ;)
Anyway, I have my bug spray, sunscreen, and aloe (well, my textbooks, too) all ready to go. I've also promised mi madre that I wouldn't fall into any sink holes or get smothered in any type of volcanic ash, so now it's hurry up and wait til take off on June 27, 2010.
Hasta luego...
P.S. Hopefully my landing in centroamérica this time will be better than the last, which resulted in a "woops, we missed the runway, let's try that again" situation in Costa Rica. yikes! :)
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